Hello, who are you and what sports/fitness routine do you play?

Hello! I'm Maya Budanok. I am engaged in athletics and specialize in the all-around. I've been doing sports for 13 years. At an early age, I came to athletics on my own, and from that moment I fell in love with running. I am also a candidate for the Master of sports. I try to fully realize myself in athletics. In parallel, I go to stretching and the gym to be always in good shape.

How do you get ready to train for your sport/how do you train?

Since there are many types in my specialization, my training is quite intense and regular.

On Monday, I run hurdles, jump high over the bar and push the core.

On Tuesday, I have a long jump with a running start and a javelin throw. 

On Wednesday, I do sprint work. It can be segments of 60-100 meters, then I go to the gym.

On Thursday, I have a hurdle run and high jump, and in conclusion, a cross-country race of 40 minutes.

On Friday, I do a jumping job for the length.

And on Saturday, one of the lagging types and power.

Also, every day at the end of the training, I perform running work for endurance or speed. A multi-wrestler should be good at everything, so you have to work more than those who specialize in one type. In addition, I spend time stretching a couple of times a week and do various exercises for flexibility. This helps very well in athletics. And I try to pay attention to every muscle of my body. 

After a workout/game, how do you recover your body? What do you do to get your body in shape? What type of diet do you eat? 

I usually go for a full-body massage. I also visit the sauna so that my muscles can completely relax. And of course, I take sports nutrition, it helps me recover faster. Since I used to have weight problems, I tried a lot of diets. I was a vegan, was on a keto diet, and excluded carbohydrates. I didn't like any of these diets. Diets work temporarily, and as soon as you give up, you break down and start gaining weight. Now, I eat mainly meat, dairy products, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. But at the same time, if I want, I can eat fast food, or something harmful. I replace the sweet with protein bars without sugar. Another weakness of mine is Coca-Cola and energy drinks. Sometimes I allow myself to drink them, but I do not abuse them. The most important thing is a calorie deficit. You can eat everything in a row but in moderation. And if you start to limit yourself, you want a forbidden product even more and this leads to breakdowns.

How do you prevent injuries when you’re training? What type of stretches do you normally do? What’s your routine looking like?

After training, I prefer to spend time actively. I can't stay at home at all, I constantly need to do something. I walk in the park or ride a bike. And in the evenings, I sometimes run an additional 10 kilometers to gain the volume I need. Well, in general, running contributes to weight loss. If I have eaten more than I need, then I will definitely work it out so as not to gain weight.

If there is someone wanting to get to your level, what type of advice would you give them?

Do not be lazy and work hard. If you want to become a champion, you should not feel sorry for yourself. Set a goal for yourself and go to it. Everyone can achieve this level. It's just a question of how much you want it.

Sport is hard work and nothing comes easy. It is difficult in training, easy in battle. If you take a serious approach to train and try hard, the result will not keep you waiting.

How do you structure your day now? What projects are you busy with?

In addition to professional sports, I am getting a higher education at a university. I'm studying to become a coach. I already have a secondary-special education. In the future, I would like to study psychology, as I am very interested in psychology and I am well versed in it. I often go through various training to pump up my female energy. I study a lot on the psychology of relationships between a man and a woman. In the future, I want to launch my fitness project. Help people lose weight and provide psychological assistance. But, this is still only in the plans. In general, I am open to everything new.

How has your journey on social media been? Future plans?

I always dreamed of becoming a blogger, but there was a fear that no one would be interested in me. I started many times, but eventually, I gave up everything because of people's condemnation. But then I decided not to pay attention to anyone, and do what I love. I want to be useful to other people. So that they read my posts and get inspired. Now I have a goal of 20 thousand subscribers before the new year and then specifically develop the blog.

Anything else you would like to share?

About a year ago, I had depression. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I wanted to commit suicide. In all areas of my life, there was some kind of horror. They wanted to fire me from the athlete's bet, everything was bad in my personal life and I hated myself. But at one point, I began to analyze my life and decided to urgently change something. I started reading books, studying psychology, get to know myself and my body. I worked with my self-esteem and became more confident in myself. I lost 8 kilograms in a year, and the results in sports began to grow. Now everything is fine in my life and I enjoy every day I live. I am glad that I was able to rise from the bottom and take a step forward.

Knowing what you know now, what do you wish you could tell yourself 10 years ago?

I would say to myself: don't listen to anyone and go to your goal. There will be a lot of people who will try to put sticks on the wheels. We are sincerely glad to see your success, only your close people will be happy. And the rest will say that you will not succeed. There is only one life, and you must live it to the fullest without thinking about what others might think about you. You don't have to be like everyone else.

How can our audience find you online? 

Here is a link to my Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/_mayyami_/

Maya Budanok is engaged in athletics and she's been doing sports for 13 years. She's also a candidate for the Master of sports. In addition to professional sports, she's getting a higher education at a university. She's studying to become a coach.